It is being reported that 45 US officers showed up today at the Ein al-Assad base in Anbar....they are there to train Sunni tribesmen in the effective ways of dealing with urban warfare....sources indicate that ground against DAASH will commence in the area soon.

NZ asked to join war against IS

New Zealand has been asked to join in the war being fought against ISIS terrorists....this request comes from Iraqi Foreign Minister Jaafari.....who insists that Iraq is not looking for forward fighting troops.....instead they seek training, logistics, aerial support, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian assistance..... ....

In order for NZ to become involved in any capacity they stipulated they needed to be assured that corruption within the armed forces and civil institutions has been dealt with....NZ wants assurances that any troops it would send to Iraq would be kept safe.

"WAP" published a draft of the National Guard Law

A draft of the National Guard Law was published today in an Iraqi news media....it is scheduled to be read on Saturday during the Parliament session after it was postponed on Tuesday due to some administrative procedures being lacking but now are completed. Economic Commission: the country's banking system works efficiently

Deputy Chairman of the Economic Commission is stating that the Iraqi banking system is sophisticated, accurate and working well today.....especially the CBI, and the Rafidain and Rasheed Banks....according to PM Abadi's speech from yesterday the government is attempting to identify old regime laws and laws from Maliki's era that are not effective and need to be removed or replaced and they are focusing on these areas to push Iraq forward...the oil and gas law is a big example of this....Abadi also stressed that as they work to further develop state-owned public companies to improve the economy they have no intention of releasing any employees at this time....he also stressed that development of the private sector requires full commitment and participation within the economic strategy to ensure economic reform works as they plan.

Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister: killer routine and bureaucracy are the biggest problem facing the Iraqi economy

Dr. Saleh talks about the economic situation and how bureaucracy is one of the biggest issues that the Iraqi economy faces....the wagon has gotten too heavy for the horses to pull.....in other words the government in the past has allowed government run entities to grow so large they can no longer afford to support them.....thus is PM Abadi's reasoning for turning over a number of public state-owned companies over to the private sector....holding intact the employees of these companies....

the private sector will have to show proof they can run these entities without loss of employment and can do so at a profit at the same time....the government or Abadi does not want these companies to fail.....look for monthly meetings with ministers designed to work towards the streamlining of state government procedures....a trimming of the tree of low hanging fruit if you will.

Petrochemical: Our production is turned off since 2011 Oil responsibility

A petrochemical company located in Basra has been shutdown since 2011 due to lack of natural gas to run much of their gas powered equipment.....meanwhile millions of cubic feet of natural gas are wasted through burning flares at well heads each day....not a productive use of the gas at all.....many workers within the facility have chosen to leave the area in search of paying work elsewhere....those that have elected to stay are protesting over the cut in salaries and lack of salary payments.

Coalition calls the law is revealed fiscal surplus at the time of al-Maliki as "political tampering."

The leader of the State of Law coalition is calling for Parliament and the government to back away from perceived issues with past budgets under the Maliki era, claiming they are simply muddying the waters and creating political chaos when they should be focused on getting important laws passed.....sounds like someone is getting nervous over what rocks are being overturned in the search for issues surrounding corruption within the State of Law coalition and wants to throw the scent off to protect the guilty.

US statements on sending troops to Iraq within the domestic consumption

Presence of any foreign troops should be held within any previous agreement with the Iraqi government and within the security agreement that was previously signed...this is especially true for any fighting groups as well as consultant forces....any changes must have the knowledge and consent of the Iraqi government. Kurdistan: Visit the region's delegation to Baghdad on Sunday

The Kurds continue to grow restless over the lack of salary payments from Baghdad and PM Barzani will lead a delegation to Baghdad on Sunday to discuss salary issues and any other remaining issues that pertain to the oil and gas agreement signed in December.

Iraqi President Masum spoke out on Friday welcoming the decision by the UNSC to remove funding sources for DAASH from around the world thus draining them of their cash flow and choking them off financially.....this is seen as a move to improve support of the Iraqi war on terrorism and DAASH specifically....also reiterating a concerted effort by countries world-wide to stem the outflow of terrorism to other parts of the world.

Achievement DAQUQ Holi through cost 100 million dinars south of Kirkuk

Think about this....a bridge for 100 million dinars.....roughly $100,000 dollars.....a 6 mile bridge.....one that was completed in 6 months.....I've been over some bridges in East Texas that were mere planks set on top of some timbers that one might call pilings...that were rather questionable as to the load limit....that is what comes to mind with this bridge....rickety and ramshackle seem to go hand in hand here....interesting. Dry calls to send witnesses survivors of violations Daash crimes to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

The Human Rights Ministry and the Human Rights Commission will be putting a delegation of survivors together to take to Geneva to speak before the UN Human Rights Council.....this is an attempt to get the world community to recognize the genocide efforts that DAASH has taken against humanity. Urgent Abadi: self-sufficiency and helps prevent the import in the introduction of hard currency for the country

PM Abadi speaking yesterday before a large group of government officials and heads of various sectors from throughout Iraq reiterated the promotion of economic reality through access to self-sufficiency and introduction of hard currency into the nation helping support the economy.....he is looking to limit imports and give the private sector the opportunity to grow their production in place of imported products....stimulating the economy through more jobs and greater cash flow through improved productivity.

Baghdad Province: 40 government department managed by proxy

Operating by proxy.....a number of departments within Baghdad Province get by this way.....who are the proxies and what is their real job.....how much do the proxies get paid.....it is time to clean up the town sheriff. U.S. reportedly seeking safe return of Tariq al-Hashimi to Iraq

Turkish officials are asking PM Abadi to guarantee safe return of former vice president Hashimi....he fled the country along with others over sectarian rifts, Hashimi was accused by Maliki of terrorist activities and received multiple death sentences in absentia....Turkey meanwhile is encouraging Abadi to allow these Iraqi's back into the country as a means to mend fences between religious and political entities.

Wasit province is considering the delivery of gas through pipelines to homes

Is there any other way to deliver gas to homes than pipelines....wait....I've seen Asian people with gas in large balloons.....or so the photo said....liquid natural gas....hmmm....being introduced at the residential level for heating, cooking, and other household uses....sounds like trouble looking for a place to happen.

Parliament held its meeting tomorrow to discuss the work of the Committee on Security and Defense and read six laws

Parliament holds a regular session tomorrow and will be discussing the security and defense committee report and will also read a number of laws.....look for the agenda after I post the news summaries. Abadi underlines the chest: Maliki will not be the leader of the popular crowd

Maliki leading the "popular crowd" sounds like an oxymoron to me.....meanwhile PM Abadi assures the cleric al-Sadr that VP Maliki will not assume leadership of the Popular Crowd.....al-Sadr expressed great support for Abadi and his government in overcoming great obstacles in the next phase. Iraq launches strategy of 4 axes to activate the private sector

PM Abadi's big speech yesterday launched a strategy that includes 4 axes to promote the private sector of Iraq into the future....also promoting domestic production....seeking to improve the Iraqi GDP to 18%....but it won't happen overnight....

The first axis will identify private sector companies within Iraq that are able to provide goods and services to benefit Iraq....the second axis centers around improvement of laws, regulations, and instructions that need to be redrafted....the third axis includes the expansion of small to medium companies to improve services through loan processes and training, consulting and technical assistance....and the fourth axis includes board development to oversee implementation strategies and reports to the COM....the current GDP stands at 1.8%....all ministries are working towards long range planning, looking for ways and means to overcome the current oil price crisis and economic issues within Iraq.

Consultant Abadi: high oil prices will be singing Iraq borrowing

Be careful of which chickens you are counting...are they out of the egg yet.....Dr. Saleh though seems to be looking ahead to rising oil prices being a helping hand for Iraq in 2015 rather than having to lean upon loans.....on the coattails of Brent crude rising on Friday to above $60 per barrel.

Labor export controls on foreign employment requires 50 percent of the national first

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs cautions companies in Iraq to follow guidelines set forth for them to have at least 50% of their work force filled with Iraqis before they go looking for other foreign employees.

The Iraqi ambassador in Washington: We will liberate all areas controlled by Daash this year

The Iraqi ambassador to the US is saying that all areas controlled by DAASH will be liberated in 2015...they no longer think of DAASH as a threat to the territorial integrity of Iraq....quite a significant change from the picture painted last summer by Maliki and clan.

Ahmed electrodes: the wrong policies of the owners entered Iraq in trouble and Abadi honest change

One political bloc is accusing Maliki of creating the wrong policies that created all kinds of trouble for Iraq...where as the new government has brought about change that has seen the government partnership being built on political agreement and that Abadi's political statements are being followed through for the benefit of all....the previous government intentionally created differences but Abadi has worked overtime to tear these down and create a government of trust and faith....Maliki ran the government on secrecy where Abadi attempts to provide transparency on all levels....Abadi works to create equality for Sunni's, Shiites, Kurds and all others who are native to Iraq.

MP: Cabinet has formed a committee to review the positions unoccupied for redistribution

The COM is reported to have formed a committee to review positions below that of Minister looking at redistribution of nationalism and electoral benefits.....head counts for the various political blocs....this could create a battle as a result the expected outcome of the committee work.

Will end things here for now.....keep an eye on this weekend....have we actually seen PM Abadi's "surprise" yet or not...was his "surprise" the speech that he gave yesterday regarding the private sector......makes you sort of wonder doesn't it. Aloha Randy